Internal Wars
by kriztian
Summary: Wars among countries create damage upon the land, but wars among minds create damage upon lives.
1. Arrival and Association

Caution: Before you read any further, be warned that there may be spoilers for those who aren't fully updated. I'm up to date on both the manga and anime.

Time: This takes place somewhere, I'm not sure where, but there has nothing to do with his seal and he hasn't left yet. Also, they know all their jutsus shown in the manga and anime. I'm sorry if some of it is hard to understand because some of the information comes late in the manga/anime. Tsunade is now Godaime.

Last Notes: I put some Japanese in this fanfic so if you don't understand, just look to the bottom of each chapter and it'll show the relative translation. As for jutsus, I put the English in parenthesis, but it might not describe a whole if you're not familiar with it. Hopefully it's all easy to understand though. Thanks for reading and a review would be nice. I like both encouraging comments and constructive criticism as well. Again, thanks everyone!

Chapter One

Naruto rushed into Godaime's office excitedly, smashing the double doors into the walls, "Tsunade-obaasan! She's here!"

The Hokage, Tsunade, awoke from her light sleep. "N… nani? Oh, oh, Naruto," she yawns and says tiredly, "That's good. Go and greet her, I'll be there in a few minutes." Naruto leapt noisily about before leaving the room and Tsunade grinned as he left, yawning again.

The inspector for Konoha, the Hidden Village of Leaf in the Fire Country, had arrived. Every ten years, an inspector would be elected from the Hidden Village of Mist to observe their neighboring country. If the inspector found the village to be unworthy of continuing whether it was due to a low population or terrible conditions, he or she would report back and inform their village leader. If the inspector never returns, then war is the most possible event to come out of the murder. Every major country inspected another in a cycle, just as the Hidden Village of Mist inspected the Hidden Village of Leaf, did the Hidden Village of Leaf inspect the Hidden Village of Sand, and so on. There were six major villages involved in this system, Sound, Leaf, Rain, Sand, Cloud and Mist.

Tsunade greeted the inspector warmly, "Welcome to Konoha, I'm Tsunade, the village's fifth Hokage."

The inspector nodded, she was cloaked in a beige cloth and her face was hidden behind a violet veil that hung from a straw hat. Her voice was unusually deep for a female, but her words were proud and robust, "I, Orikasa Tirasu, inspector from the Hidden Village of Mist have to come to inspect the Hidden Village of Leaf. Upon my visit, I request that no trouble be brought to me or my escorts through the duration of our stay."

Tsunade's smiling face became serious as the simple tone of the inspector's speech told her that Tirasu meant business. "Very well, you may observe this village to it's every speck of dust if necessary and if harm be done to you, I, Tsunade, Konoha's fifth Hokage, will see to it that you recover and return safely to your village."

Tsunade looked from Tirasu's figure to her three escorts, all of which had dark blue cloaks and straw hats with black veils. A silence swept the room and left almost as suddenly, when Tirasu removed her hat, revealing her face. She was a fair adult with dark purple hair and bright blue eyes. "Now that all the whole formal introduction is over with, how about an easy talk over a cup of tea?" questioned the inspector, whose serious manner had completely left her and replaced with a childish behavior.

Tsunade blinked and was quite surprised at the sudden change, but smiled happily with Tirasu, "So, so, please, do come in. Would your escorts be accompanying you in?"

Tirasu looked up in thought. "Ah, hmm," turning around so that she faced the three on their knees, she spoke again in the vigorous powerful voice, "Dismissed until further notice." And with the blink of an eye, the three disappeared and were nowhere to be seen.

Tirasu turned around, "So how about that cup of tea we were talking about Tsunade?"

---------- 

Naruto, who had been left in the now-empty room decided to follow after the three. Passing by his teammates, Sakura and Sasuke, he called to them, "Yoi! Want to meet the new visitors?" Sakura and Sasuke nodded and sped off with Naruto, following the three shadows.

The three escorts were speeding through the village in blurs of blue, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. A while later, Sakura began to breath heavily and eventually stopped, "Go on without me, I'll catch up."

Naruto nodded, while Sasuke didn't even look back. The two continued to dash after the three Mist Nin. After nearly leaping off every house in the village, Naruto began to gasp for air as he cried, "Kuso, they're so fast!"

Sasuke nodded in silence thinking, _they haven't even slowed since their first departure from the Hokage's lobby_.

Finally, after many rounds the three figures stopped at an open grass field and Naruto and Sasuke landed, completely wiped out and panting for air. The three stood in a triangle facing the two followers and the one at the front of the triangle, presuming to be the male leader spoke firmly, "Who are you two and why are you following us?"

Naruto was too exhausted to answer so Sasuke spoke for the both of them, "We just wanted to see where you guys were headed and who you are." Naruto nodded in agreement while resting on the floor.

The leader spoke again, "We are Mist Nin from the Hidden Village of the Mist and where we are headed is not of your concern."

Naruto breathed, "We know you're Mist Nin, but who are you really?"

The Mist Nin gave no reply and for a while no words were exchanged between the two groups. Finally, Sakura made the scene and looked at Naruto and Sasuke to the three individuals. A little bit confused she asked, "Sasuke-kun, Naruto, why are you staring at…"

Sakura never finished her sentence because Sasuke immediately dashed off to the three Nins and hit one of them. A puff of smoke went out, leaving nothing but a log. Sasuke turned and made contact with the other two, both of them did the same as the first. "Kuso," Sasuke muttered to himself, "So they were all just substitutes."

"Nani, Sasuke-kun? What happened?" Sakura asked out of curiosity.

Naruto and Sakura stared at Sasuke's back as the young genin spoke, "They successfully carried out their Kawarimi (Body Substitute) no Jutsu without me noticing."

Sakura tilted her head and Naruto squinted his eyes. "Eh?" they both said at the same time.

Sasuke continued to speak without turning around, "To have done so, they would have had to have done it all at the same time, as to trick our eyes into believing they were all real. Because our eyes need a medium to base our visions on, without one, we would not be able to tell if something was out of the ordinary. The unison of their acts was fast and unbelievingly accurate and precise. Well…" Sasuke turned his head, looking over his shoulder at Sakura and Naruto with his Sharingan eyes, "Next time they won't be so lucky."

---------- 

The three Mist Nin arrived at the room they were to stay in for the night. However, the room looked more like an apartment, as there were two restrooms, three bedrooms, a dining room, a kitchen and a living room with couches and everything. One of them took off his hat and cloak as he placed it on a stand and fell relaxingly on the cushioned couch. He placed his entire body across the couch, with one hand he rested on the headrest and with his other, he ran it through his cold blue hair to get rid of the clumping caused by the cap. Looking at the leader with his dark black eyes, he spoke, "Yoi, Keiji, don't you think we should have told them our names at least?"

Keiji removed his hat and cloak and placed it on the stand as well as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, "This is a B-ranked mission, Haro, we can't afford any mistakes. We cannot simply trust someone out of nowhere. Remember, we are only here to inspect and protect the inspector, not for fun and games."

Haro nodded at his silver-haired teammate, "I know, I know, but what's the harm in getting acquainted with a few of our fellow genin?"

Keiji stared at Haro annoyingly and the pierce from Keiji's dark blue eyes sent a wave of uneasiness through Haro's back, "Okay, okay, I'm good."

The third member of the team removed her hat and cloak as she silently walked across the living room and quietly slid open the glass door to the balcony. Closing it gently behind her, Haro sighed, "You'd think we've been with her for so long, she'd actually start to talk to us once in a while."

Keiji maintained his pose as he stared through the glass pane and watched his teammate's black blue hair shine in the moonlight and sway with the wind. "We don't even know if Kirisu 'can' talk. Since the day she came to the Hidden Mist, no one has heard her say a word, not even our most powerful hypnotists. They say her will is too strong and yet at the same time too weak. Even when taken to the mind readers, they immediately cut mind contact with her and shake their heads disappointingly. She's a mystery, that one."

Haro looked at Keiji suspiciously with his eyes narrowed, "How do you know so much about her? Even 'I' don't know that Kiri's name is short for Kirisu."

Keiji rubbed the back of his neck and laughed nervously, "Oh, oops. Let's just say I snuck into the school records and read your profiles."

Haro's eyes widened as he turned his head away with his lips pouted to the side, "Lucky bastard, why didn't you take me with you?"

Keiji removed himself from the wall, "Well, get some rest Haro, find a room and close the door so that we know which one is taken already. We need to wake up early tomorrow."

Haro nodded as he picked himself off the couch and walked towards the rooms, "I know, I know."

When Haro shut the door, Keiji softly opened the glass screen and closed it behind him. Standing next to Kirisu, who was leaning against the metal side of the balcony and looking up at the night sky, he sighed, "It was quite a day eh?"

Without looking at him, Kirisu nodded. Keiji looked up to see what Kirisu was looking at. "Wow, the sky is so clear here in Konoha."

Kirisu nodded again. "Hey," called Keiji.

Kirisu turned her head, the slash scar on her left cheek seemed unusually visible as the moon's light shined upon it. Keiji found Kirisu staring at him with her blank silver ice blue eyes. They seemed so empty to Keiji that he completely forgot what he was going to ask.

"Well," spoke Keiji, turning around and placing a hand on her shoulder, "Whichever room has the open door is yours okay? Get some rest, we need to wake up early tomorrow."

Kirisu looked up at the dark sky with the full moon and stars again and nodded. The glass door shut without a noise as Keiji returned indoors.

---------- 

"I'm telling you Sasuke, they're not purposely taunting you!" cried Naruto as he and his two teammates, Sakura and Sasuke, walked down the dark lit street.

Sasuke shook his head, "They are, why else would they commit such an act in front of me, an Uchiha!"

Sakura tried to calm Sasuke down after hearing the whole story, "Sasuke-kun, don't take it so personally, they just didn't want to answer Naruto's question."

Sasuke grumbled, "Shut up Sakura."

Sakura let out a soft whine and Naruto perked up, "Hey! Don't tell Sakura-chan to shut up! You're the one who…"

Sasuke cut Naruto off as he stood staring upwards. Naruto and Sakura stared at Sasuke for a moment. Sakura asked, "What is it, Sasuke-kun?"

Following Sasuke's gaze, Naruto and Sakura discovered what Sasuke was looking at, or moreover, 'who' he was looking at.

Naruto blushed as he saw what Sasuke saw, "Wow, she's even cuter than Sakura-chan."

Sakura then smacked both boys across the head, leaving throbbing bumps as she cried, "How dare you say such a thing, baka!"

Naruto complained, "But look at her Sakura-chan, you can't compete with that."

That comment earned Naruto another whack across the head as well as a fight from Sakura. Sasuke ignored the two and continued to stare, thinking, _I haven't seen her before, where did 'she' come from? Unless…_

Sasuke's thoughts were broken as the girl down at them. Sasuke tensed up and he tried to hide his blush. Naruto and Sakura stopped in mid-fight as Sakura's grip on Naruto weakened, _does he really prize her more than he does me? Is Naruto right? Can I really not compete with her? After all, she captured Sasuke's attention with a mere glance, whereas I can't even grab attention even now._

Naruto noticed Sakura's sullen face and tried to cheer her up, "Don't worry Sakura-chan! I…"

Naruto stopped in mid-sentence as Sakura had turned around and walked the other way, her hair covering her eyes and tears streaming down her cheeks. Naruto turned to Sasuke, his head fumed, "Now look what you've done Sasuke! You've made Sakura-chan sad!"

Sasuke didn't even look away, "Shut up, Naruto! If you care for Sakura so much, then go tend to her."

Naruto stared at Sasuke with slit eyes and his lower lip jutting out, "Fine, I think I will," and with that, the noise went dead.

Sasuke tried to be as cool as he could, his usual self, "Who are you? I haven't seen you around before."

The girl didn't answer, but instead turned her back to go inside. Before Sasuke even realized what he was doing, he had leapt onto the balcony wall and grabbed the girl's wrist. "Answer me!" he proclaimed.

The girl's head was nodded to the ground as her bangs shadowed her eyes. After a simple second, she simply made a palm with her immobilized wrist and twisted it so that Sasuke was forced to let go. The moment Sasuke's grip was loosened, she quickly used her other hand and smashed her flat palm against Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke flew back from the balcony and hit the wall. The force had been so strong and sudden, that the contact created a sunken sphere upon impact. A few particles from the wall fell with Sasuke as he plunged to the ground with blood running down the side of his mouth.

Struggling to lift himself off the ground, he looked up to find that the girl was no longer there and the light that had shone from the apartment was gone. Sighing and questioning why he had even attempted to do such a thing puzzled him. Sasuke got up and rested against the wall for a while until he gained enough strength to walk again. While walking, he coughed up blood and held his stomach. _Internal damage? Does she… have the Byakugan (White Eyes)?_

-obaasan: used for an old lady

-chan: used mostly for younger people, usually girls

-kun: used mostly for younger people, usually guys

Nani: what

Sharingan: copy wheel eyes


	2. Compare and Contrast

Caution: Before you read any further, be warned that there may be spoilers for those who aren't fully updated. I'm up to date on both the manga and anime.

Time: This takes place somewhere, I'm not sure where, but there has nothing to do with his seal and he hasn't left yet. Also, they know all their jutsus shown in the manga and anime. I'm sorry if some of it is hard to understand because some of the information comes late in the manga/anime. Tsunade is now Godaime.

Last Notes: I put some Japanese in this fanfic so if you don't understand, just look to the bottom of each chapter and it'll show the relative translation. As for jutsus, I put the English in parenthesis, but it might not describe a whole if you're not familiar with it. Hopefully it's all easy to understand though. Thanks for reading and a review would be nice. I like both encouraging comments and constructive criticism as well. Again, thanks everyone!

Chapter Two

Haro woke up to the smell of breakfast. Dashing out the door still in his pajamas, he immediately sat down, tied a napkin around his neck and held a knife and a fork in his hands. Keiji was found on the couch with a pillow behind his back, leaning on the armrest with a book at hand. Without looking up, Keiji greeted, "Ohayo, Haro."

Kirisu walked out of the kitchen with a plate of steamy eggs, sausages and pancakes. Haro's eyes bulged and his mouth watered as the plate was placed before him and without even responding to Keiji's greeting, he cried, "Itadakimasu!" and dug into his plate.

Keiji put down his book and walked over to the table and sat next to Kirisu, who was silently eating without a sound. When everyone was done eating, Haro went to his room to get changed, while Keiji helped Kirisu with the dishes. When everyone was ready to go, they put on their hats and cloaks and left from the balcony instead of the door. Arriving at their meeting place with the inspector, they waited.

To pass time, Haro skipped rocks across the river, Keiji ran and did flips upon the water to control his chakra and Kirisu ran her hand through the water creating currents with her chakra. After a while, the three heard voices coming towards them. The three of them silently muttered, "Henge (Transformation) no Jutsu."

Keiji had become a fish in the river swimming upstream, Haro had transformed into a frog at the bank of the river and Kirisu, a small bird pecking at the ground.

---------- 

"Sasuke-kun, tell me! What happened yesterday night? Why are you all bruised up? Speak to me, please!" cried Sakura. She had noticed Sasuke's cuts and bruises and wondered if anything happened last night.

However, Sasuke wouldn't answer her, all he did was continue to walk, ignoring the noisy voice. Naruto however, walked with his hands over his head with a disapproving face of how Sasuke was ignoring Sakura. Finally, Sasuke spoke, "Sakura! Stop it, you're annoying."

That got Sakura to shut up and they finished walking to the bridge in silence. Waiting, Naruto whined, "Man! Why do we even bother coming on time if Kakashi-sensei is only going to come late?"

Before anyone could even answer, Kakashi appeared standing on the edge of the bridge. "Hello everyone, look who I brought."

Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto all looked up to find a lady with a beige cloak and a black veiled straw hat. Naruto yelled and pointed, "Aah?! The inspector?!"

The inspector removed her hat, "Ah, so you remember me. Please, the name's Tirasu."

Kakashi laughed, "Indeed, she wanted to see how a typical four-man team trains and completes missions."

Tirasu laughed heartily, "Well not only that Kakashi-san, but I wanted your team to get acquainted with my team."

Everyone looked at her. "You have a team?!" they cried simultaneously.

Tirasu laughed again with amusement, "Last time I checked I do. They're actually watching us right now."

Everything then grew silent as Sasuke eyed the area with sharp eyes, Sakura observed every object around and Naruto scratched all about crying, "Oh crap! I hope they're not on me!"

Kakashi leaned against the bridge post and read his perverted book, "Let me know when you guys spot them."

Naruto stared angrily at his teacher, "Kakashi-sensei! How can you just stand there reading your book when we're being watched this very instance?"

Sasuke then threw a kunai, hitting a butterfly, "There!"

However, nothing happened and the butterfly's movement was quieted. Tirasu smiled uneasily, "You're Sasuke right? I'm sorry, but that was just an ordinary butterfly."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, "Kuso."

Tirasu clapped her hands together, "Okay everyone, come out!"

Keiji stood without a single drop of water dripping off his clothes, as he was the first to change back, standing calmly on the river's surface. Haro changed next; his posture was that of a wolf, ready to strike it's prey. Lastly, was Kirisu, who flown into the air, changed and come down softly, the dust gracefully parting way for her as she landed.

Sasuke's eyes widened, "You!"

Naruto began to laugh, "Aha! Looks like they fooled you again Sasuke!"

Sasuke's hair covered his eyes, "Shut up, Naruto!"

Kakashi was amused, "Oh, very obedient group you have there."

Tirasu placed a hand behind her head as she stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, "No, they just have their moments."

Kakashi nodded in complete understanding, "Well, I guess we should introduce ourselves first, since you're our guests. I'm Hatake Kakashi."

Naruto pointed at himself with his thumb, "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the future Hokage of Konoha!"

Sakura bowed to the group, "I'm Haruno Sakura."

Sasuke didn't even look at the group as he spoke plainly, "Uchiha Sasuke."

Tirasu clapped her hands together, "That's splendid, okay everyone, you can take off your hats now. There's no use wearing these things if everyone already knows who you are, oh and introduce yourselves. I'm Orikasa Tirasu."

Keiji removed his hat to reveal his face, "Tsuki Keiji."

The next to do so was Haro, "Uchiha Haro."

Sasuke sharply turned his head and stared at the boy in the dark blue cloak, "You! What did you say your name was?"

Haro stare at Sasuke and repeated plainly, "Uchiha Haro."

Sasuke was taken back, _Impossible, 'I'm' supposedly the only Uchiha survivor, how did a bastard like him, come to survive?_

Sasuke wouldn't believe it, "You're lying. How could someone like you be a part of the infamous Uchiha Clan?"

Haro grinned, "Yeah? I should be asking 'you' the question, considering we fooled you twice with our jutsus."

Sasuke flared with anger, "Don't you EVER underestimate me!"

And with that, Sasuke activated his Sharingan and dashed towards the boy who claimed to be a part of the Uchiha Clan. However, before Sasuke could even lay a hand upon Haro, the third member, who still hadn't introduced herself suddenly appear between them. _Nani? I didn't even see him!_ The figure threw Sasuke's outreached arm to the side and hit him violently with a flat palm. Sasuke hit the ground on his back and rolled over several times. Grasping his stomach with blood coming from his mouth, he proclaimed with realization, "You!"

The shadowy character nodded and removed the hat. Tirasu spoke for her, "And this is Makana Kiri."

Sakura covered her mouth from the astonished sight of this Kiri girl being able to surpass the sight of Sasuke's Sharingan and also, being the girl they saw last night on the balcony. Naruto's mouth dropped open as he yelled, "Naaaani?! A girl cuter than Sakura is faster than Fuzzy Eyebrows and stronger than Sasuke's Sharingan?!"

Kakashi whispered something in Tirasu's ear and she nodded, "Haro, Keiji, Kiri! Kakashi-san and I are going for a walk, don't be brutal to each other you hear?"

Kakashi looked over his shoulder, "Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura! Don't be picking fights while we're gone."

And with that, Tirasu and Kakashi left their students at the river bridge.

---------- 

Sasuke stood with the help of Sakura having his arm around her shoulder. "Kuso," he muttered, stilled clutching his stomach.

Naruto stared at Sasuke's condition and how sad Sakura looked to see him that way. Feeling sorry for Sakura, he glared at the team of three, "Kuso, you're all going to pay for what you did to Sasuke."

Keiji took a step in front of Kirisu, "Well your arrogant Uchiha boy started it, and didn't your sensei tell you not to pick a fight with us?"

Naruto growled, "I don't give what my sensei said about picking a fight, all I know is that you'll pay."

Sakura analyzed the team as Naruto dashed forward with a kunai at hand. Suddenly realizing something Sakura called out, "No Naruto! Don't! You're no match for them!"

But it was too late. Naruto had already run forward and would not have been able to stop. Sasuke wiped the blood with his sleeve and spoke with Sakura, "It's okay, Sakura, you can let go of me now. We're going to fight these three whether Kakashi-sensei approves of it or not."

Sakura whimpered a little bit, but nodded, "Okay, whatever happens, I'll fight by your side."

Sasuke tried to ease his stomach a little bit. "Just don't get in the way," he retorted as he dashed after Naruto, with Sakura following closely behind him.

---------- 

Kakashi and Tirasu were walking alongside the river about a mile away from the bridge. Kakashi stare at his book while he talked, "From what I've seen your students are well-trained are they not?"

Tirasu chuckled, "Well don't be so surprised, I have the confidence that my whole team could pass the Chuunin Exam 'and' the Jounin Exam in one year alone."

Kakashi looked at Tirasu, "Oh? So why don't they?"

Tirasu sighed, "Because it is forbidden in our village for an outsider and an illegitimate child to take the Chuunin Exam in a place other than the Hidden Village of Mist, and it has been a while since the Chuunin Exam has been hosted at our native village."

Kakashi nodded, "I see, so your Uchiha, was an illegitimate child.

Tirasu nodded sadly, "It's sad really, since he's so talented and gifted, but really, he has no parents since his mother died early after his birth and his father ran away."

Kakashi had a hand on his chin as he continued to stare at his book, "Was the Uchiha the mother, or the father?"

"The mother was the Uchiha, I believe. She was so ashamed that such a thing occurred that she ran from Konoha with Haro in her arms and came to the Mist, or so the story goes. It's been heard that his father went to become a gambler and wasted tons of money at bars and clubs. Whereas his mother died from an illness coming from the misty air, which at the time wasn't as clean as it is now due to the advanced technology. Luckily, an old couple took Haro in and he's been fine ever since, though at times the couple tells me that he runs out at night to be alone."

Kakashi nodded again. "I see," he said, while thinking, _he's almost like Naruto… almost_, Kakashi continued, "And the outsider?"

Tirasu sighed at the thought, "That's Kiri, she came on her own as a child. She hasn't spoken a word since, but we've had our best hypnotists, mind readers and observers to try and predict her. However, our all of the hypnotists can't seem to conquer over her mind, nor can they get her to talk. Our mind readers always pry through her mind, but either find nothing or shrink back in fear of trying again, though they can't exactly explain why, but they get chills all over their body after. As for our observers, they always come back with the same basic information: she does not or cannot speak, she lives alone, in solitude and holds the advanced bloodline similar to that of one that used to be found in the Hidden Village of Light, but things can only be hypothesized so far, they can't be proven."

Kakashi looked up from his book, "The Hidden Village of Light? Wasn't that the one that got caught in the Eclipse War with the Hidden Village of Darkness?"

Tirasu nodded, "So you've heard the story."

Kakashi smiled nervously, "Well not the entire story, I fell asleep when hearing the details."

Tirasu chuckled, "Well, the war was between the Light and the Darkness only, no other village was involved. The side effect of the war was full out days and nights where everything would just look gray. Eventually, Light won and Darkness was wiped from the map. However, a few runaway Dark Nins survived and later ambushed the Hidden Village of Light for revenge and that was the end of the Hidden Village of Light. The Dark Nin however were wounded badly and later died from their wounds. Just goes to show that there can't be light without darkness in a way. If Kiri is really an heir to the village, we can't explain why or how she was able to survive."

Kakashi looked up at the sky, _Kiri… and Sasuke? Perhaps._

Kakashi thought about the rules to the Mist Chuunin Exam, "And what does your third teammate say about this whole rule about strangers and illegitimate children?"

Tirasu smiled gratefully, "He doesn't care and continues refusing to take it with another team until his teammates are permitted to take it with him."

-sensei: teacher

-san: used for respect

Ohayo: good morning

Itadakimasu: let's eat/thank you for the food


	3. Evolution and Evaluation

Caution: Before you read any further, be warned that there may be spoilers for those who aren't fully updated. I'm up to date on both the manga and anime.

Time: This takes place somewhere, I'm not sure where, but there has nothing to do with his seal and he hasn't left yet. Also, they know all their jutsus shown in the manga and anime. I'm sorry if some of it is hard to understand because some of the information comes late in the manga/anime. Tsunade is now Godaime.

Last Notes: I put some Japanese in this fanfic so if you don't understand, just look to the bottom of each chapter and it'll show the relative translation. As for jutsus, I put the English in parenthesis, but it might not describe a whole if you're not familiar with it. Hopefully it's all easy to understand though. Thanks for reading and a review would be nice. I like both encouraging comments and constructive criticism as well. Again, thanks everyone!

Chapter Three

Naruto put his hands together as he ran, "Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) no Jutsu!" Several clones of Naruto stood at his side numbering a total of five running in a straight line.

Keiji did a few handseals, "Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone) no Jutsu!" Keiji had practically imitated Naruto's approach as five Keiji's stood against the five Kage Bunshins. Within seconds, four of the Naruto's had disappeared and four Keiji's still stood.

Sasuke leaped into the air, "Katon Goukakyuu (Grand Fireball) no Jutsu!"

Kirisu appeared suddenly in front of the real Keiji and did a few handseals as an aura of water surrounded Keiji, Haro and her in one gigantic ball. Keiji thought to himself, _smart, she used Suirou (Water Prison) no Jutsu and imprisoned us all so that the fire wouldn't hit us_.

Kirisu cut off the contact she had with the water cage and the water splattered to the ground, soaking the dirt beneath them. Haro stood up, "Okay, now it's my turn, Doton Shinjuu Zanshu (Inner Decapitation) no Jutsu!"

Haro disappeared into the ground as Sasuke began to eye the floor as well as Kirisu and Keiji. Activating his Sharingan, he suddenly cried, "Naruto, Sakura, get off the ground!"

---------- 

Tirasu stretched her arms by pulling upward, "So tell me about your team, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi looked up for a brief moment, "Oh? Well there's Naruto, the noisy ninja, Sasuke, sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan after they were all assassinated and Sakura."

Tirasu smiled, "I see. So tell me Kakashi-san, why do you keep your left eye covered with your forehead protector?"

Kakashi blinked, "Hehe, well, it's friend's Sharingan eye, given to me before he… past away."

Tirasu made a sad face, "Oh I'm so sorry Kakashi-san."

Kakashi waved his hands in front of him smiling, "Oh, no no. It's fine."

Tirasu nodded as Kakashi and her continued to walk in silence.

---------- 

Sakura and Naruto screamed as they were both were dragged into the ground at the same time. Deeply embedded into the ground, only their heads were above dirt. Kirisu dashed to Naruto's side as she stared him down, Naruto was then silenced from his noisy calls and was motionless. Keiji ran to Sakura's side and did the same, "Kanashibari (Body Freeze) no Jutsu!"

Sasuke stared as his teammates were dragged into the ground and struck senseless by Kirisu and Keiji. "Kuso," he muttered under his breath.

Sasuke landed on the ground and held his stomach as a pang of pain ran through his body, _kuso, that Kiri, just had to hit me in the same spot twice. She doesn't even appear to be able to 'have' the Byakugan. Who is she?_

Now that Sasuke was to fight alone without the help of his teammates, he decided that he might as well give it his all and show this so-called Uchiha, how a real Uchiha clan member fought. Sasuke closed his eyes, "Sharingan!"

Keiji and Kirisu stood to accompany Haro, but Haro held up his hand as he spoke smiling, "Don't worry, I'll beat this guy, even though I 'don't' have the Sharingan eyes yet."

Kirisu nodded and Keiji gave some last minute reassurance, "Just don't get reckless, and we'll be here if something happens."

Haro nodded as he turned his attention back to Sasuke, "Now, we shall see who is one being underestimated."

---------- 

Tirasu suddenly let out a soft laugh and Kakashi stared at her, "Oh? What's so funny?"

Tirasu shook her head as her hand covered her mouth, "It's nothing; I'm just wondering how well your students follow instructions."

Kakashi nodded, "Ah, I see. Knowing Sasuke, he won't let anyone surpass him and along with Naruto, I'd say my instructions meant nothing to them."

Tirasu looked at Kakashi with a confused expression, "And so you leave them alone? With my students knowing quite well that the chances of a fight are high?"

Kakashi smiled, letting Tirasu know that everything was under control, "Don't worry. They'll learn a lesson from this one, especially since your team works so well together. It will teach them the better value of teamwork and cooperation."

Tirasu's confusion disappeared as she smiled, "You have a very interesting way of teaching Kakashi-san."

Kakashi nodded as he looked up at the sky again, thinking of his old friend Obito, "Without teamwork, I wouldn't be here right now. And these group of Genin were the first to pass my test, it didn't happen without a reason."

---------- 

_To have used kage bunshin no Jutsu underground and used them to drag Sakura and Naruto below, what an ingenious scheme_, thought Sasuke, as he tried to learn and observe from the action that Haro took.

Haro and Sasuke stood facing one another as a wind blew over them. A leaf detached itself from a tree and floated gently until it landed in the river. Sasuke charged, his Sharingan watching nearly everything. Haro leaped into the air and Sasuke followed right after him, knowing what he was about to do. Haro began to do handseals and Sasuke copied them, this was done while both of them floated in the air.

Keiji and Kirisu watched eagerly, knowing how this would be an interesting match. Haro finished his seals and Sasuke did as well. "Suiton Daibakufu (Great Waterfall) no Jutsu!" they both called out. Just then, two large pillars of water appeared, one next to Sasuke and the other next to Haro. As the pillars tried to cross one another to get to their target, they hit one another and cancelled each other out, causing the water to soak deeply into the soil and slowly wash itself back down to the river.

_Kuso_, thought Haro, _that wasn't a very good idea._ And surely enough, the water had loosened the mud, causing the buried Naruto and Sakura to be exposed to their waists. Fortunately, they were still under the spell of Keiji and Kirisu's Kanashibari, but even that affect would last very long. _Man! I need a move where I can take the advantage, but he'll only copy me, and we're both Uchihas, unfortunately for me I don't have the Sharingan._

Kirisu shook her head as she watched and Keiji knew what she was thinking. At this rate, Naruto and Sakura were going to regain movement before Haro could finish Sasuke. Haro nearly fell over from the use of chakra, his Suiton Daibakufu was a very powerful move and consumed a lot of energy. Judging from Sasuke's position, it had taken him a lot of chakra as well. From what he knew, Haro could think of no technique that may have served him a worthwhile advantage against Sasuke's Sharingan. Eyeing Sakura and Sasuke, he leaped backwards and rejoined Keiji and Kirisu.

Keiji grinned, "You done?"

Haro laughed, "Heh, yeah."

Keiji then looked serious, "Well, time to show these guys what we're made of. Ikuzo!"

Sasuke grinned as Naruto and Sakura crawled out of their predicament, "Heh, even 'with' your teammates you won't be able to defeat me."

Naruto made a face, "Eh? But Sasuke, we're on your team!"

Sasuke gave him a cold glare, "Shut up! I don't need you."

Sakura looked at Naruto, "Naruto, we better help him, he's getting a bit arrogant."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Aah."

Keiji quickly moved his hands, "Kirigakure (Hidden Mist) no Jutsu!" Immediately, a thick fog began to set in, creating a struggle to see.

Naruto looked around frantically, _kuso, even though this happened when we fought Zabuza, my eyes aren't used to it._

Suddenly, Naruto heard Sasuke cry out in pain followed by a thud to the ground. "Sasuke!" cried Naruto, "Are you okay?"

Listening hard, he heard Sasuke groan, "Baka, Naruto, move! You just gave away your position."

Sasuke was lying on the ground holding his stomach again, with his Sharingan this time, he could see that Kirisu had used the same move for the third time in a row on him. He discovered that it was not due to a Byakugan power, but a combination of two techniques: Houshou and Chakra Enjintou (Chakra Scalpel). The strength in power of the Houshou, where one would smash a palm into another with great force, combined with the Chakra Enjintou, where chakra was emitted and capable of damaging internal organs without necessarily damaging the skin, Sasuke realized just 'how' much damage he was receiving with every blow.

_And another problem is_, thought Sasuke, _she doesn't call out her jutsu, like the rest of us were trained to do. It gives her stealth, combined with the speed of that close to Lee, she's almost invincible._ Just then, a realization seemed to come to Sasuke, _if she's 'that' strong, then how much stronger is Keiji? I have already fought Haro, he is not a problem, but together, they're…_ Naruto's cry broke Sasuke from his thought as he struggled to get up. "Naruto!" he called.

Naruto was flown back from the Keiji's taijutsu. Surprised from Keiji coming out of nowhere, Naruto landed on his back. Getting up, he put his hands together, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Several clones appeared and Naruto eyed the fog closely, as he prepared to make his move when Keiji attacked again. Naruto's eye caught movement headed towards him. Grabbing the object, Naruto grinned as he found it to be Keiji. Kicking him up into the air again and again, "U-zu-ma-ki Naruto Rendan!"

Keiji received a hard kick to the chest, but before he flew downwards, he grabbed Naruto's leg and refused to let go. Naruto blinked, "Yoi yoi! Let go!"

However, Keiji did not listen and instead, began to twirl Naruto in circles as they flew to the ground. Finally, after picking enough speed, Keiji released him, causing Naruto to crash into the trunk of a tree unconscious. From the spinning, Keiji had created some kind of a tornado flight affect and had slowed down his fall, creating opportunity to regain control of his decline and land without harm.

Slowly, the fog began to clear. Sasuke's eyes returned to normal as he barely had the chakra to even stand and Naruto was still unconscious beneath the tree. When the environment became clearer, Sasuke looked around, Sakura had not made a noise since the fog set in. However, he grinned as he found only Keiji and Kirisu standing side-by-side, while Sakura was only a few feet behind him.

"So, the coward unworthy Uchiha ran away did he?" called Sasuke to Keiji and Kirisu.

None of them spoke anything, until Sasuke felt something cold against the base of his neck as he heard the words being whispered to him, "The kunai is right next to your major artery connecting your brain to your body, if you value your life, don't move. The end is your choice alone."

Sasuke recognized that voice. "Sakura?" he questioned.

Looking at Keiji and Kirisu, their expressions had not changed and gave Sasuke no idea what was going on, "Sakura, what are you doing?"

Sakura laughed. "Have you still not figured it out? Who's being underestimated now? Uchiha Sasuke…"

Sasuke looked around and found a shadowed figure behind the bushes; his eyes widened with fear, "Nani? You're…"

Sakura nodded, "Took you long enough, now grovel like the pathetic dog you are," and with that, Sasuke was knocked unconscious.

---------- 

Tirasu looked at the sun to check out the time. "Kakashi-san, don't you think we should be heading back? Something may have happened to your students," she grinned.

Kakashi nodded without looking up from his book, "We probably should, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were out cold. Though I should doubt whether or not they are dead, I do not feel the urge to kill in your students."

Tirasu laughed, "Ah, how sharp you are Kakashi-san. They are not eager to kill, they work better on missions that require them to bring something back alive. Because of their advanced skills in just a year and because of the limitation of the rules, we've been given B-rank and C-rank missions after just a few weeks of being together."

Kakashi nodded again as he disappeared with Tirasu following right after him.

---------- 

Sasuke fell to the floor with a thump. Sakura then placed her hands together, calling, "Kai (Cancel)!"

Keiji immediately appeared behind Sakura and knocked her out before she could do anything else. Emerging from the bushes was Haro, "Oh man, being serious and mean can really take it out of you, I'm no good at that."

Keiji nodded as he gathered Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto into a pile, "Then leave all that to me. It was a nice trick though, your Shintenshin (Mind Body Switch) no Jutsu, it took even 'me' a while to realize that it was you."

Just then, Keiji turned around and threw two kunai. Catching it with a single finger and twirling it around while reading his perverted book, Kakashi spoke, "So you've defeated my squad eh? Truly, Tirasu, your team has gone through a great amount of training. However, I find that they are not at full strength, yet they are pretty much true Shinobi."

Ikuzo: let's go

Baka: stupid


	4. Give and Go

Caution: Before you read any further, be warned that there may be spoilers for those who aren't fully updated. I'm up to date on both the manga and anime.

Time: This takes place somewhere, I'm not sure where, but there has nothing to do with his seal and he hasn't left yet. Also, they know all their jutsus shown in the manga and anime. I'm sorry if some of it is hard to understand because some of the information comes late in the manga/anime. Tsunade is now Godaime.

Last Notes: I put some Japanese in this fanfic so if you don't understand, just look to the bottom of each chapter and it'll show the relative translation. As for jutsus, I put the English in parenthesis, but it might not describe a whole if you're not familiar with it. Hopefully it's all easy to understand though. Thanks for reading and a review would be nice. I like both encouraging comments and constructive criticism as well. Again, thanks everyone!

Chapter Four

Tirasu laughed as she clapped her hands, "Well done, Haro, Keiji, Kiri. You may go rest now; we shall talk later. Dismissed!"

Tirasu waved her hands solidly and at once the three disappeared. Tirasu looked over her shoulder to look at Kakashi, "They pretend to be strong, but I'm sure they've lost a lot of chakra. They always try to push their limits, making them stronger. It's what I like about them."

Kakashi nodded as he knelt next to his student. Sakura, being the first to awake, blinked her eyes. "Eh? Kakashi-sensei, what happened?" she asked as she saw Naruto and Sasuke lying on the ground, "Did they fight again?!"

Kakashi smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry about it Sakura, you're all fine now, but it seems like I have some training to do with you guys."

Sakura nodded as she tried to gather what had happened before she blanked out, "Hey, Kakashi-sensei, where's the three Mist Nin?"

Kakashi put his book in his pocket as he held Sasuke on his shoulder and Naruto on the other, "Don't worry about them, we'll meet again."

Tirasu walked up to Sakura, "You seem like such a polite girl. I know! How about I treat you and your team to dinner tonight? You just pick the place."

Sakura's eyes brightened, "Really Tirasu-san? Arigatou!"

---------- 

Tsunade stood atop the balcony with the four Hokage's faces standing stiff behind her. _That Tirasu, doesn't seem like a typical inspector. Throughout all my years in Konoha, all of them were down to business and quite serious, not like the one here now. Is the Mist planning something? Are they mocking us? We just got over a war, are they, suspecting something?_

Tsunade turned to face the cliff with the carved faces, scanning all four, her eyes landed on her grandfather, _hmm… what would you think of this?_

---------- 

Naruto's eyes blinked open to see the white ceiling. "Huh? Where am I?" he muttered.

"You're in the hospital," returned a voice.

Naruto sat up and found Kakashi sitting relaxed on a chair reading his perverted book, "Ne, Kakashi-sensei, what happened?"

Kakashi looked up from his book, "Did you hit your head that hard?"

Naruto looked up as if trying to see his forehead. Taking a hand and placing it on the bandage wrapped around his head, he winced. "Ite…"

Kakashi stared at Naruto amazed, "Oh, then I guess the forehead protector did you no good either. That must have been one heck of a fight you had with the three Mist Nin."

Suddenly, Naruto's memory flooded right into him, "Oh! That's right, Sasuke, Sakura-chan and me were fighting against the… uh, other team. Eh, by the way, where's Sasuke?"

Kakashi stood up and pulled the curtain aside. Sasuke was still unconscious with Sakura leaning at the side. _Eh, Sasuke,_ thought Naruto, _you too? Were they just, too much for us?_

Kakashi leaned against the wall, reading his book again, "Well, you're lucky they're not the killing-type Naruto. But this also means you have a lot of training to do."

Naruto smiled, "Yosh! Wait, what time is it?"

Sakura looked at him confused, "An hour past noon, why?"

"Aah!!! I missed lunch!" cried Naruto.

Sakura stared at him, _he's just been through a near-humiliating fight, from what I remember, and it seems as if nothing happened at all._

Sasuke's eyes fluttered open to hear the sound of Sakura's voice, "Sasuke-kun you're awake! How are you feeling?"

Sasuke sat up and shook his head to try and collect himself. Suddenly realizing something, he looked at Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei, where are the three Mist Nin? Where's Haro?"

Kakashi didn't look up from reading, "They're gone doing who knows what. But we'll see them again tonight. Tirasu-san invited us to dinner."

Sasuke made fists, creasing the hospital's bed sheets, "Chikushou…"

Sakura tried to move on to happier thoughts, "Ne, Naruto, Sasuke-kun, the doctors said that you guys could be released as soon as you were awake, so you guys won't miss the dinner."

Naruto blew out, relieved, "Phew, I thought I was going to miss it. So where are we going?"

Sakura looked at Naruto, "I haven't decided yet, Tirasu-san said that we could choose."

Naruto had on a dreamy face with drool coming down the side of his mouth. Sakura shrunk back, "Eh?! Oh no, Naruto, we are NOT going to Ichiraku Ramen for all you can eat."

Naruto grinned devilishly.

---------- 

Haro, Keiji and Kirisu breathed deeply as they rested on the forest's tree branches. Haro sat with his back to the trunk and his hands between his legs, "Well, at least we beat them."

Keiji nodded as he leaned his arm against another tree's trunk, "Yeah, but at what cost. You 'know' how Tirasu-sensei thinks of us using high-level jutsus, especially when they take a lot of chakra in a situation and mission such as this."

Haro sighed, "Yeah I know, but what's the point in learning these things if you can't show off."

Keiji laughed, "Is that all you care about? To show off?"

Haro pouted, "Hey! Hey! I happen to 'like' showing off."

Keiji smiled to his friend, "Yeah, but it's a pity how you don't have the Sharingan yet. It should come soon."

Haro shook his head depressingly, "No, I doubt it'll even come. Even though I carry strong Uchiha blood from my mom, it may not be strong enough to actually get me the Sharingan eyes."

Keiji would have replied, but Kirisu sent him a warning look. Leaping to her branch, he questioned, "What is it, Kiri?"

Kirisu pointed in front of her and Keiji squinted in that direction, "Yo, Haro, we have company."

Haro turned his head, "Who is it?"

Keiji laughed, "That's a stupid question. We don't know anyone except the Hokage, Kakashi and his team here in Konoha."

Haro rolled his eyes, "Fine, them describe them. What do they look like?"

Keiji squinted his eyes some more, "It looks like, another three-man team. And, it seems that they're headed right for us."

Haro's eyes glinted with a tint of fire, "Another fight?"

Keiji looked back at him, "Haro, you haven't recovered enough to go through another fight. And if Kakashi's team took that much energy out of you, then how much do you think 'this' team will take out of you?"

Haro shrugged, "Hey, if it's a fight, then it's a fight. They're the possible challengers anyhow."

Keiji exhaled, "You're right. I'll go see what they want. Kiri, watch over Haro. You guys know what to do, just in case."

Kiri nodded, but didn't move as she continued to stare at the approaching visitors.

Keiji dashed forward, after getting close enough, he stopped and the team stopped as well. Keiji stood straight with his arms crossed, "What do you guys want?"

The one in the green spandex made a pose, "I, Rock Lee, heard that you overwhelmed Sasuke-kun's team in a battle."

Keiji stood as calm and collected as ever. "You mean the Uchiha? Then you are correct. Who are you? And what do you want?" he repeated.

The one with the blank eyes took a slight step forward in front of Lee, whose eyes were burning with a passionate fire. "We came to challenge you to a one on one duel. My team of three against your team of three."

Keiji raised a brow, his arms still crossed, "And you are?"

"Hyuuga Neji."

The girl in the pink blouse spoke up, her eyes almost in a dream as she looked at Keiji, "From all this talking, we should really know who 'you' are. I'm Tenten."

Keiji's expression didn't change, "Tsuki Keiji."

Tenten seemed happy to hear his name as she repeated it to herself, "Tsuki, Keiji… ah…"

Neji stopped Tenten, "Well then, let's go on. Take us to your team."

Keiji shook his head. "That won't be necessary," he spoke as he snapped his fingers.

Immediately, Kirisu and Haro appeared, Haro was on one knee and Kirisu was leaning against the trunk. Neji looked at Haro and grinned, _hmph, looks like Uchiha's team really took it out of that one._ Nodding, Neji spoke, "Shall we begin then? I will allow you to choose whom to face. And because we are the challengers, we will tell you who your first opponent is."

Lee took a step forward, "Your first opponent shall be me."

Keiji, Haro and Kirisu studied Lee up and down to try and gain a clue as to how he fought. After a while, both Haro and Keiji looked at Kirisu, while Kirisu looked back. "Go on," encouraged Keiji, "You work best with speed."

Lee's eyes narrowed, _how did 'they' know I was for speed?_

Kirisu nodded as she stepped forward to meet with Lee. Lee blushed a slight pink, but shook his head as he introduced himself, "I'm Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast, Rock Lee! And you are?"

Keiji spoke for her, "She's Makana Kiri from the Mist."

Lee was a little bit annoyed with Keiji having to answer for her, but nevertheless continued, "Ready? Ichi, Ni, San!!!"

Lee charged forward at Kirisu, but she had simply jumped up to dodge it. Neji, at the sidelines was surprised, but did not show it, _she's good, and it looks like you have a rival already, Lee._

Kirisu spun gracefully in the air as she landed softly on the branch, leaves rustled as they twirled in light circles to the ground. Lee leaped, bouncing off the sides of the tree trunks, "Konoha Gouriki Senpuu (Leaf Herculean Whirlwind)!"

Kirisu tipped backwards, causing Lee's kick to miss. Lee landed at the very spot Kirisu had been previously standing and after barely just reaching ground he was violently shoved forward. Kirisu had fallen backwards, gained momentum from the fall and swung right back up on the other side by attaching herself to the branch with chakra. She had twisted herself around, so that she was able to land a flat palm on the back of Lee's body. Managing to grab a branch and swing over, Lee rested there, squatted to the ground. A wave of pain shot through his body as he led a hang to the spot where he was hit. _Chikushou, what move was that? She just 'had' to hit me right there, its effects still haven't left me. I can't let her hit that spot again._

Seeing the Lee kid in great pain, Haro couldn't help, but warn him, "Watch out man. Once Kiri hits you with that move the first time, most likely she won't hit you again in any other spot."

Lee didn't move from his perch. G_reat, that gives a lot of reassurance. Whatever happens, I can't let her hit it again. I don't even know what that move was, but it did a lot of damage. I can't afford any more mistakes,_ he thought as he removed his weights. Placing them on the branch, he had to jump off in order to avoid falling, as the branch couldn't support the burden of the weights. Kiri watched as the weight and branches fell to give a heavy thud to the ground. Lee held up a flat palm towards himself with a hand behind his back, "Yosh! No more fooling around."

---------- 

"Tirasu-san, I need to speak with you," said Tsunade as she knocked on the room door.

"Just a minute!" called Tirasu from the other side.

Tsunade waited patiently until the door creaked open and Tirasu stepped out, "What it is Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade smiled a bit nervously, "Euh, oh oh, it's nothing. I was just wondering how the inspection was going."

Tirasu smiled. "It's going great, all in here," she said as she took out a scroll from her pocket.

Tsunade nodded at the scroll then turned back to Tirasu, "How much longer do you think you will be staying here?"

Tirasu held her smile as she walked down the hallway, leaving Tsunade behind, "Oh, not much longer, not until I've gathered enough information."

Tsunade stared after the lady with a serious look, _not until she's gathered enough information?_

Arigatou: thank you

Ite: it hurts/ow

Yosh: yes/okay

Chikushou: d it

Ichi, ni, san: one, two, three


End file.
